Horticulture Interests Included in USDA-NASS Survey for First Time
As the 2007 Census of Agriculture receives its finishing touches, USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) has already dived into another survey, the Farm & Ranch Irrigation Survey, gathering information about irrigation and water use across the agricultural industry.
The Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey is a supplement to the Census of Agriculture and is the only single source of comprehensive, up-to-date information on these increasingly important sectors. NASS will collect information about irrigation water use during 2008, including application methods, equipment, facilities, expenditures and crop acreage and yield.
In response to industry changes, and in an effort to meet the information needs of key stakeholders and data users, the survey will – for the first time – include nursery and horticulture operations. Including this agriculture sector in the survey will help NASS gather new and needed information, furthering the accuracy of the survey. This is a valuable opportunity for the horticultural industry to have its voice heard on irrigation and water use among their specialty operations.
Of the 35,000 surveys sent to producers across the country, 10,000 were to horticulture and nursery operations. Those who receive the survey are urged to respond by Feb. 17, 2009.
More information about the survey is available at www.agcensus.usda.gov.
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